We often travel to Sweden and normally avoid the dreaded short layover. It’s also tough to avoid the germs. I don’t consider myself a germaphobe, but I’m the person who brings sanitizer and won’t touch the magazine or emergency instructions. I scoff when the stewardess says to read over that plague-filled piece of plastic. I am not touching that thing! Planes are gross. How many times have you gone on a plane and found crumbs on your seat or an old tissue in the seat pocket? No wonder I contracted COVID-19 from an airplane, courtesy of the guy coughing next to me. Not even a mask could protect me from that hot mess.
My Short Layover
Our trip to Sweden requires three flights. This is the result of not having any direct flights from Washington DC to Stockholm. On this particular day, we were on Scandinavia Airlines which happens to be one of my favorite airlines. The trip, however, because of the lack of a direct flight to Stockholm is simply exhausting. In fact, if Sweden wants to get more business in the United States they should perhaps start routing direct flights to Stockholm and DC. Anyway, I digress and that sentence was self-serving anyway.
Our itinerary is usually pure hell. We had to travel from DC to Copenhagen to Stockholm to Northern Sweden. On this particular trip, our connection time between our Copenhagen and Stockholm flights was 45 minutes. More about that later. Hint: A 40 or 45-minute layover doesn’t work well and may be too short.
Air Quality
Fun fact; the oxygen on a plane is not only circulated, but it’s also thinner. Your oxygen saturation levels decline and this causes you to feel like crap, especially if you’re flying for over six hours. You do not get as much oxygen as you would on land and this contributes to dehydration, pure circulation, and fatigue. Wait for it, I’m setting my story up! I don’t sleep very well on planes but I managed to get some shut-eye on the first flight.
The Dreaded Gate Sprint
We land in Copenhagen and an announcement is made that another plane is sitting at our gate. Panic sets in because we know we only have a short layover. The passport control line in Copenhagen is usually pretty congested. We know that we are all going to have to make a serious run for it. I’m up for the challenge. What could be so hard? I mean, it’s been a while since I’ve regularly worked out but of course, I can keep up with my track athlete, my husband, and two other fit sons? No problem.
I attempted to sprint through the airport. My husband offered to take my laptop bag and I bit his head off. “I’m not an invalid!” I hissed. OK, I didn’t hiss, I panted and gasped. My lungs felt like they would explode, but as in all moments of athletic stress, my stubbornness kicked in and I pushed my body to the limit.
We were the last people to board. We made it! And….
My Asthma Attack
I proceeded to have a full asthma attack. I don’t have asthma but that’s what it was. I could not stop coughing. My body was in full old lady gasping for air mode. My twelve-year-old was terrified which upset me more as I guzzled down his water. I suspect I had no business being on a plane for 8 hours and then sprinting. The water didn’t help. The lady in front of me moved her seat. I’M THAT PERSON YOU HAVE TO MOVE AWAY FROM! It took me a good fifteen minutes before I stopped coughing. I swear I burst a few capillaries that day!
Midlife Stubbornness
And it made me so frustrated and angry. Afterward, my husband asked me why I was so stubborn when it was obvious that I was the weakest runner in the family and could use help with my bags. Silence. More silence as I thought over his statement. Should I divorce him
I Refuse to Slow Down
I don’t want this. I don’t want to gain weight, to be slower than my kids, to be that person you move away from on the plane. Yet here I am. I keep fighting and Father Time just keeps on laughing. It’s humbling and inevitable. This is life.
I will have to make adjustments in my fifties but this is life and I will live it. I’ve promised myself that I will not slow down, I will keep running to gates and traveling and working and playing as much as I possibly can because one day I won’t be able to. When that day comes, I will go back to the sunshine of my memories and smile.
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